Auto Sport Schweiz: Honor to whom honor is due

ASS AWARD TO SEBASTIEN BUEMI The 2019 Swiss Automobile Championship ended with all the champions being honored. Sébastien Buemi received the 2019 Auto Sport Switzerland Award in absentia. Anyone invited by Auto Sport Switzerland to the "Dîner des Champions" at the prestigious Bellevue Palace in Bern has achieved something over the past season. With the exception of a few [...]

Editorial - November 23, 2019

The 2019 Swiss champions: back from left Eric Berguerand (mountain racing cars), Andy Feigenwinter (mountain touring cars), co-driver Giusva Pagani and Ivan Ballinari (rally) and Martin Bürki (slalom). Kneeling from left: Co Stéphane Fellay with driver Jonathan Michellod (Rally Junior) and Rico Thomann (Mountain Junior).

Anyone invited by Auto Sport Switzerland to the "Dîner des Champions" at the prestigious Bellevue Palace in Bern has achieved something in the past season. With a few exceptions, all first, second and third place winners from the various Swiss championships and sub-championships accepted this year's invitation.

Many of the successful riders had already been guests several times, but for some, such as the annually changing participants in the Junior Mountain Championship, it was a premiere. As a novelty, there were even four people on the podium, as two juniors finished third with the same number of points.

Podium Mountain Junior Championships (from left): Pascal Siegrist, Rico Thomann and joint third-placed Gianluca Forcella and Michael Müller.

Family reunion on the podium
For two of the most successful national drivers, the event was the highlight for a special reason. Touring car mountain champion Andy Feigenwinter and his third-placed son Raphael stood on the podium together. Family members together on the podium has only been seen in rallying in the past. How this came about can be seen in the report from the final hill climb in Les Paccots can be taken.

In addition to Feigenwinter jr. Robin Faustini in third place in the mountain racing cars ("That was my goal for the season"), the slalom drivers Hanspeter Thöni ("It's great how I was able to show that you still have a good chance with a small car") in second place and Christian Darani in third place, the rally runners-up Jean-Marc Salomon/David Comment and the third-placed junior rally duo Christophe Parriaux/Bryan Villat.

Proud father and happy son: Andy and Raphael Feigenwinter.

Third award since 2007 for Sébastien Buemi
Every year, the motorsport authority and its National Sport Commission (NSK) present the ASS Award in recognition of special services to the reputation of Swiss motorsport. Sébastien Buemi impressed the jury by once again winning the World Endurance Championship, the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2018 and 2019 and second place overall in Formula E 2018/19.

He already received this honor in 2007 and 2014. Last year's winner was Mario Illien. As the new Formula E season has already begun for him this weekend in Saudi Arabia, the 31-year-old from Vaud expressed his thanks via video message.

All final classifications can be viewed on the ASS homepage.